Alkali metal dispersions and the method of preparing the same



.Nov. 8, 1949 V. L. HANSLEY ALKALI METAL DISPERSIONS AND THE METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME Filed Aug. 8, 1947 BY dwnfl AG'ENT Patented Nov. 8,' 1949 ALKALI METAL DISPERSIONS AND THE METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME Virgil L. Hansley, Niagara Falls, N. Y., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application August 8, 1947, Serial No. 767366 This invention relates to alkali metal disper-' sions in inert liquids and to their preparation.

"The alkali metals constitute one of the most active classes of elements. Yet in many of their known reactions reaction occurs ver slowly when the metal. is employed in such forms as wire, cubes, or the like, or as molten metal. This is generally due to the fact that the metal is in a form which presents a relatively small proportion of the metal as metal surface to the reaction. In many instances the surface exposed is reduced as the reaction proceeds by the formation thereon of insoluble reaction products with the. result that the rate of reaction is still further reduced.

Dispersions of such metals in inert liquids such as xylene, toluene, ether, petroleum solvents, paraflln oil and the like have been known and used heretofore advantageously because of the relatively finely divided condition of the metal and, therefore, the relatively great surface of metal presented. -In such known dispersions, which in the case of sodium are often referred to as sodium sand, the diameter of the individual sodium particles usually is between 5 00 and 3000 microns and after vigorous shaking the particles settle rapidly, often with reagglomeration. Such sands are generally made by dispersing the metal at a temperature above its melting point. The dispersion must then be carefully cooled through the melting point to prevent coalescing or seizing of the particles. In the final sand dispersions the solid particles settle out fairly rapidly.

Sodium dispersions of particle size averaging about 100 microns in which substantially no settling of particles occurs over long periods of time may be prepared b the method of my Patent 2,394,608. That method involves adding with agitation a small amount of a higher fatty acid to a sodium dispersion at a temperature above the melting point of sodium. The acid immediately is converted to a sodium soap which forms a gel structure in the system. Particles of sodium, e. g. 100 to 200 microns, may be suspended in such a gel. The fatty acid soap thus functions as a. stabilizer against settling.

I have discovered a convenient, highly eifective and practical method of making alkali metal dispersions in inert organic liquids of much finer metal particle size than in previously known dispersions. Because of the greater fineness of the dispersed metal particles in my new dispersions, the metal content thereof is in a much more 16 Claims. (Cl. 252-309) 2 highly valuable for uses in many industrial applications.

It is accordingly an object of my inventionto provide new and improved dispersions of alkali metals in inert organic liquids, particularly hydrocarbon liquids, and to provide a convenient and practical method for making such dispersions. Another object is a method of preparing alkali metal dispersions which are stable against agglomeration and settling, are relatively fluid, and in which the average particle size of the dispersed metal does not exceed about 20 microns and in general is of the order of 1 to 5 microns. Still further objects will be apparent from the following description.

The above .objects are accomplished in accordance with the invention in general by preparing an emulsion of finely divided molten particles of an alkali metal in an inert organic liquid having a boiling point above the melting point of the metal in the presence of an emulsifying agent of the type hereinafter defined. Such dispersions may be prepared by heating together an alkali metal and the inert liquid to a temperature between the melting point of the metal and the boiling point of the liquid in the presence of the emulsifying agent while effectively agitating the highly reactive form and such dispersions are 6:!

mixture. The emulsifying agent may be present during the entire operation or may be added during the latter part of the period of agitation. Agitation of the mixture may be accomplished by any desired method which will effect the proper degree of subdivision of the molten metal. The resulting emulsion may then be cooled to a temperature below the melting point of the metal to obtain the improved dispersions of my invention.

A convenient form of apparatus for use in preparing the present dispersion comprises an emulsifying vessel in which a mixture of the metal and the inert liquid may be heated to the required temperature and a circulatory conduit system by means of which the mixture in the vessel may be pumped out of the vessel and returned thereto at the desired rate of velocity. Both the conduits leading from and to the vessel are arranged so as to be positioned below the liquid level in the vessel and are preferably near the bottom. The end of the return conduit is provided with a nozzle which extends a short distance within the vessel and has an orifice of suitable size by means of which the returning stream of liquid is forced at an abrupt angle, e. g., 0., against a splash plate positioned a short distance, e. g. A, in. away from the orifice. The conduits of the names ing and the nozzle orifice about to in. in

diameter. When using apump which circulates the liquid mixture at a rate equivalent to a linear orifice velocity of about 246 ft./sec., such an apparatus functions very satisfactorily for the present purpose for operation on the scale indicated in the following examples. Linear orifice velocities should generally be at least about 100 ft./sec. and velocities of 100 to 1000 ft./sec. are generally satisfactory. The conduit and orifice dimensions as well as the distance from the orifice to the splash plate may of course be varied considerably depending upon the scale of operation. v

The vessel and circulatory system described should be provided with means for maintaining the contents of the system at a temperature above the melting point of the alkali metal. Conveniently the system may be immersed in a constant temperature oil bath. It is advantageous to provide the vessel with a suitable cover having ports therein for adding and removing materials from the system. The cover may include a well for a thermometer or thermocouple and bear means for connecting the system'to a reflux condenser for returning inert liquid which becomes vaporized. A nitrogen feed line for sweeping air from the system in certain operations is desirable for safety purposes and an arrangement may be provided for siphoning oil the contents of the vessel into containers wherein the product emulsion may be permitted to cool. 1

Apparatus such as described above is illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a side view shown mostly in section and Fig. 2 is a top plan view shown with the cover removed. I

In the drawings, I is a vessel containing an oil bath 2 in which is positioned emulsifying vessel 3. Into the bottom portion of the latter pass conduits 4 and 5 which are, respectively, extensions of inlet and outletports 8 and 1 of pump 8. Emulsifying vessel 3 is provided with a cover held in place by three clamps l0, only one of which is shown. The cover is provided with a well II for thermometer ii; a central port I! for connection with a condenser (not shown) and for use as a nitrogen exit; and, with conduit ll bearing drop-' ping funnel i and having a side arm as shown for admitting a stream of nitrogen. The inner end of conduit 5 is provided with nozzle it having orifice H at its forward end. Opposite orifice I1 is splash plate It which is supported by conduit 5. Pump 8, drive pulleys l8 and air motor 20 for powering pump 8 are bolted in position on a side wall of vessel I as shown. Stirrer 2| is for agitating oil bath 2. Means for driving the stirrer and for heating and maintaining oil bath 2 at a suitable constant temperature are not shown and any conventional means for accomplishing such purposes may be used. It is generally desirable to insulate the side walls and bottom of vessel l to conserve heat and to aid in maintaining the temperature in oil bath 2 at the desired level. Such insulation is not shown in the drawings.

In operation of the apparatus illustrated, the inert organic liquid and sodium are charged into vessel 3 and when the charge has been suitably heated pump 8 is started. The pump forces a stream of the charge through orifice I'I against splash plate i8. The emulsifying agent may be added when desired by way of dropping funnel II. A slow stream of nitrogen is passed through the apparatus during practically the entire operation.

The term "alkali metals" is used herein to include lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and caesium and also alloys of two or more such metals with each other, for example, potassiumsodium alloys,

The emulsifying agents which are suitable for use in practicing my invention are adsorption binaries consisting of finely divided carbon having absorbed-thereon an alkali metal soap of a higher fatty acid. Preferably the carbon of such a binary is a finely divided active carbon such as the active carbons which are employed extensively for decolorizing solutions and liquids, for use as adsorbents in gas masks and in solvent recovery operations or as catalysts or carriers for catalysts in various chemical reactions. The carbon is employed in finely divided form. Carbon of particle size less than 1.0 micron and preferably less than 0.01 micron may be used effectively. The observed particles in a decolorizing carbon are aggregates of hundreds of smaller particles. It is believed that in this emulsion system these aggregates break up.

The present adsorption binaries are formed by the adsorption on the finely divided'carbon of an alkali metal soap of a higher fatty acid. It is preferred that such binaries be formed-in situ,

e; g., by addition of the carbon and a higher fatty acid to the mixture of molten metal and inert liquid under agitation. Under such conditions the acid is converted to the soap which is.ab-

sorbed on the carbon to form the active emuisifying agent. Preformed binaries of this type may be prepared separately in an inert liquid medium from the carbon and a soap, or an acid and an alkali'metal, and then added to the mixture being emulsified. Formation of the binary in situ is, however, more convenient and more effective and constitutes the preferred method.

In all of the following examples the apparatus which has been described in detail above was employed. The progress of emulsification was followed by preparing microscopic slides and observing them under a microscope together with a calibrated micron scale. Because of the high concentration of alkali metal in the mixtures it was necessary to dilute the emulsion to obtain slide specimens thin enough to be observed prop- Example 1 A charge consisting of 450 g. of sodium and 450 g. of a refined medicinal grade hydrocarbon oil was introduced into the emulsifying vessel described above and the temperature of the oil bath was adjusted to -110 C. As soon as the sodium melted, the pump in the circulatory system was started. The force of circulation through the nozzle was sufilclent to stir the entire charge violently and to result in a coarse dispersion of molten sodium throughout the oil as the continuous phase. A particle size of 100-500 microns was ass-mas obtained at this stage. "lg. of a finely divided carbon available commercially for use in clarifylng solutions, and 7 g. of oleic acid were then introduced. Further emulsiflcation began immediately, and after a circulation period of 20 min. an average particle size of 1-5 microns was obtained. The emulsion had the consistency of mayonnaise, and showed no tendency to-settle on long standing. The emulsion was metallic grey in color, rather than black, signifying that the carbon particles were wet by sodium and adsorbed in .the sodium surface layer.

Example 2 A charge of 450 g. of peroxide-free decalin and 450 g. of sodium was placed in the emulsifier and the temperature of the oil bath adjusted to 100 110 C. After the sodium had melted and a preliminary dispersion was obtained by the circulation method with the, sodium particles ranging from five to thirty microns, five g. of finely divi-ded carbon of the type mentioned in Example 1 was added, followed by five g. of oleic acid, as a binary system to effect emulsification. After forty minutes the mixture was withdrawn and allowed to cool to room temperature whereby a stable dispersion of 1-5 micron size sodium particles was obtained.

The dispersions illustrated by the above examples contain the alkali metal in a form which is extremely reactive and highly useful for many applications. They may be used advantageously in carrying out the well-known Wurtz-Fitti type reactions, for refining various hydrocarbons and in reactions involving chlorohydrocarbons of the type illustrated by chlorobenzene whereby alkali metal aryls such as sodium phenyl are very easily obtained. They are also useful'in carryingout Claisen type reactions and for many other purposes. Due to the very fine state of subdivision the alkali metal may be added to reaction mixtures in the form of the dispersion at rates equal to the rate of reaction without danger of hazardous amounts. of unreacted metal accumulating. Care, however, should be exercised in handling the dispersions since on contact with textiles such as clothing the inert liquid is removed by capillary action which leaves a residue of the finely divided metal which may ignite spontaneously.

While the emulsifying agent may be added initially to the mixture, of metal and inert liquid,

the preferred method involves effecting a preliminary or partial dispersion of the metal in the inert liquid solely by means of agitation. The emulsifying agent is then added and agitation is continued and for a short time thereafter until the desired or maximum degree of subdivision is attained. The resulting emulsion may then be cooled to ordinary temperatures without requiring any special precaution in handling during cooling. While fairly flne subdivision, e. g. 50 to 500 microns, may be attained merely by means of adequate agitation the resulting dispersed particles readily coalesce and no stable system is possible in the absence of an effective emulsifying agent.

Experiments have demonstrated that neither the carbon nor the fatty acid soap of the present adsorption binary emulsifiers alone exerts any emulsifying effect and the formation of dispersions containing metal particles of the fine state f subdivision characteristic of the present products is not possible employing either constituent of the binary alone. Thus finely divided carbon alone is entirely ineffective. The use of soap alone, e. g., by the method of my above patent, results in products having a gel structure which functions to stabilize the dispersion against settling and the metal dispersed therein will be of substantially greater particle size and, therefore. substantially less reactive. Soap alone acts primarily as an anti-settling agent and is effective due to gel formation rather than to any true emulsifying or dispersing action. In contrast, the soap-carbon binary exerts a true emulsifying action which controls the extent of metal subdivision obtainable. The minimum average particle size obtainable using soap alone is about 50 microns and generally about 100 microns. By the use of the present binary emulsifying agents stable dispersions in which the average particle size of the dispersed metal is 1 to 5 microns may be readily prepared.

Soaps of any of the known higher fatty acids, either saturated or unsaturated and having either a straight or branched chain structure, may be used in the present carbon-soap binaries. Specific examples of such acids are: hexoic, diethyl acetic, heptoic, octolc, ncnoic, capric, undecyl, lauric, myristic, palmitic, margaric,

stearic, arachidic, cerotic, melissic, oleic and erucic acids.

The extent of emulsification of the molten metal in the inert liquid will depend somewhat upon the effectiveness of the agitation provided. Assuming that a highly effective means is employed for agitating the mixture, the extent of the emulsification is dependent upon the amount of emulsifying agent present and the amount of metal to be dispersed since the effect of the emulsifying agent results from its action at the metal surface. Thus, for 50% dispersions, when a given amount of the agent yields dispersions of particle size averaging about 10 microns, approximately 10 times that amount is required to give a dispersion of particle size of 1 micron and approximately 100 times that original amount is required to obtain dispersions of particle size averaging 0.1 micron. For preparing dispersions containing about to 65% by weight of dispersed metal, the practical concentrations of the present dispersing agents are generally within the range 0.5 to 10% based upon the total weight of the dispersion. Smaller amounts, e. g., as low as 0.05 may be used, particularly if a dispersion having a low metal content is being prepared. Larger amounts, e. g., up to and higher :are effective particularly when extremely finely divided particles are required but such larger amounts are not generally desired because they contaminate the product unduly.

The proportion of alkali metal soap to carbon in the carbon-soap binaries may be varied considerably but generally from 0.5 to parts by weight of soap will be employed for each part of carbon. Excellent results are obtained employing approximately equal parts by weight of the two substances.

The present dispersions may be prepared so as to contain any desired amount of dispersed metal which is practical in the preparation and use of such dispersions. To be practical such dispersions will usually contain between 20 to alkali metal by weight. Above that amount there is difficulty in obtaining dispersions which are suitably fluid for handling purposes and below that amount the content of metal is generally too low to be practical for most uses.-

Any temperature between the melting point of the alkali metal and the boiling point of the inert organic liquid may be employed in properingthe present products. The preferred temperature is generally within the rangeof from Just above to about 10 to C. above the melting point of the metal. In the case of sodium the preferred range isabout 100 to 115 0. Higher temperatures may of course be employed effectivel in some cases. i

Any organic liquid may be used in preparing the present dispersions so long as such liquid is inert to the alkali metal and has a boiling point above the melting point of the metal. Examples of such liquids are xylene, toluene, various petroleum solvents such as kerosene and the like and paraffin oils. If desired a second inert liq- 'uid which has a boiling point below the melting point of the metal may be added to the cooled dispersion. Such a second liquid may be useful in some instances in functioning largely to prevent raising of the temperature of the dispersion above the melting point of the metal when the dispersion is employed in carrying out certain exothermic reactions.

I claim:

1. A composition comprising a stable dispersion of finely divided particles of an alkali metal in an inert organic liquid having a boiling point above the melting point of said metal and containing 0.05 to 25% by weight of a dispersing agent consisting of an alkali metal soap of a higher fatty acid adsorbed on finely divided carbon.

2. A composition comprising a' stable dispersion of finely divided particles of an allkali metal'in an inert hydrocarbon liquid having a boiling point above the melting point of said metal and containing 0.5 to 10% of a-dispersing agent consisting of an alkali metal soap of a higher fatty acid adsorbed on finely divided active carbon.

3. A composition according to claim 2 wherein the dispersing agent contains 0.5 to 2 parts by weight of soap per part of carbon.

4. A composition according to claim 3 wherein the alkali metal is sodium and the soap is a sodium soap. v v

5. A composition according to claim 4 wherein the soap is sodium oleate.

6. A composition according to claim 2 wherein the metal is sodium and the soap of the higher fatty acid is a sodium soap.

7. A composition according to claim 6 wherein the soap is a soap of oleic acid.

10. A process for the production of a dispersion of an alkali metal in an inert organic liquid having a boiling point above the melting point of said metal comprising agitating a mixture of said metal. said liquid and an emulsifying agent at a temperaturebetween the melting point of said metal and the boiling point of said liquid, said emulsifying agent consisting of an alkali metal soap adsorbed on finely divided carbon and constituting 0.05 to 25% by weight of said mixture.

11. A process for the production of a dispersion of an alkali metal in an inert hydrocarbon liquid having a boiling point above the melting point of said metal comprising agitating a mixture of said metal and said liquid at a temperature between the melting point of said metal and the boiling point of said liquid to form a relatively coarse emulsion of said metal in said liquid, continuing agitation of the resulting emulsion at said temperature in the presence of 0.5 to 10% of an emulsifying agent consisting of an alkali metal soap of a higher fatty acid adsorbed on finely divided active carbon and cooling the resultant mixture to a temperature below the melting point of said metal.

12. A process according to claim 11 wherein the emulsifying agent is formed in situ by the addition of finely divided carbon and a higher fatty acid to said coarse emulsion, from 0.5 to 2 parts by weight of said acid being added per part of said carbon.

13. A process according to claim 11 wherein the alkali metal is sodium and the emulsifying agent is formed in situ by the addition of finely divided carbon and a higher fatty acid to said ,coarse emulsion, from 0.5 to 2 parts by weight of said acid being added per part of said carbon.

15. A process according to claim 13 wherein the acid is stearic acid.

8. A composition according to claim 6 wherein the soap is a soap of lauric acid.

16. A process according to claim 13 wherein the acid is lauric acid.

vman. L. HANSLEY.

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED s'rs'rnsra'ran'rs Number Name Date 2,394,608 .Hansley Feb. 12, 1946 2,409,519 Tamer Oct. 15, 1948 Patent No. 2,487,333

November 8, 1949 v Certificate of Correction VIRGIL L. HANSLEY It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 2, line 39, for the word dispersion read dispersions; column 4, line 11, and lines 33 and 34, for absorbed read adsorbed; column 6, line 59, for 0.5 to parts read 0.5 to 2 parts; column 7, line 34, for allkali read alkali; column 8, line 10, for

by weight read of the weight;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of March, A. D. 1950..

THOMAS E. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

